THE CHESS Tournament

Texting while driving is a really bad idea.  So much so that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed guidelines for states as they set up laws against it.   Studies have shown the distraction is similar to driving while intoxicated.  Don’t assume employees will use good judgment–set a policy on use of cell phone, smartphones, texting, etc while driving.

For assistance with this or other safety policies, or other safety issues, please contact CHESS, Inc at carkey{at}chess-safety.com.

The recent edition of Minnesota Safety Lines relates a fatality report: an employee drank what he thought was a sports drink–the label and bottle were that of a sports drink (Gatorade), the contents were a light blue liquid and it was near the cooler with employee lunches.  Unfortunately, it was an acid, according to the OSHA fatality report .  The employee was brought to a hospital, but died two days later.

Unfortunately, this method of storing liquids is fairly common. It’s easy to take the nearest container to hand - and how many empty beverage containers do you have in your workplace? We ran across one just recently on a walkthrough. Can you tell in this picture if there is that Gatoraid or antifreeze in that bottle?

We do not recommend using food containers for chemicals–they can often be confused.  If you re-use any containers, make sure you take off or cover the original label and relabel the container with the correct contents.  What may seem obvious to one person, often is not obvious to the next.  Fatalities happen in a split second, but you can help prevent them.

If you have questions on labeling, RIght to Know, hazard communication, material safety data sheets or other safety issues, please contact CHESS.

Slips and falls are leading causes of injuries.  Encourage employees to clean up spills immediately (whether or not they caused the spill) and to report slippery conditions.

For solutions on dealing with slips and falls, or other safety issues, please contact CHESS, Inc at carkey{at}chess-safety.com.

When not in use, all knives and cutting tools (razors, Exacto blades, etc) have to be kept covered.  This is to protect employees from accidental cuts.  You can use a piece of foam as a holder for uncovered blades.

For more information on this or other safety issues, contact CHESS at carkey[at]chess-safety.com or 651-481-9787.

We sometimes hear the claim that a product is “OSHA certified” or “OSHA approved.”  These are always false claims, as OSHA does not certify or approve any products.  OSHA has set up an approval process, using third party testing facilities, called Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTL).  Probably the most common NRTL are UL (Underwriters Laboratories) and CSA (Canadian Standards Association).

When purchasing certain products, especially electrical, look for the approval stamp from one of the NRTL.  Here is a list of NRTLs,. From there you can see a list of all of the product standards for which that lab tests.

Look for the stamp on products and make sure it looks correct.  Counterfeit stamps and markings do exist.  OSHA explains this all further in a recent Safety and Health Information Bulletin.

For more information on this or other safety and health issues, please contact us.

Eyewash stations are needed if there is a chemical splash hazard or you are using corrosives.  Make sure they are kept clean and accessible (no using them as storage racks).  Flush plumbed eyewashes weekly.

For more information on this or other safety issues, contact CHESS at carkey[at]chess-safety.com or 651-481-9787.

We want to wish you a safe Fourth of July.   To keep it that way, remember these tips:

Wear sunscreen and a hat.

Use insect repellent.  Don’t tease bees and wasps (good advice especially for kids–that’s how I got stung several times; when my brother and cousin were teasing a nest).

Don’t attempt to relight fireworks that do not go off.  Approach them with caution and douse with water.

Don’t let children play with fireworks.  There should always be adult supervision, especially for teenagers.

Designate a sober driver or call a cab if partaking in alcoholic beverages.

Don’t leave food made with mayonnaise or eggs out in the heat.   Put them on ice and if food sits out for several hours–toss it.

Wear a helmet when biking (bicycle or motorcycle).

Enjoy the holiday!

Minnesota jokes the state bird is the mosquito.  To discourage breeding, eliminate standing or stagnant water:  store drums upside down or on their side, don’t let tires accumulate or cover them, and walk around your facility to check for where water can pool; then dump it.  Empty containers under eyewashes, also.

For more information on this or other safety issues, contact CHESS at carkey[at]chess-safety.com or 651-481-9787.

Janet Keyes, CIH, recently attended the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHCe) in Denver.  We have been featuring some of the highlights from that conference. (see blogs on NIOSH and OSHA, control banding and skin exposures). This will be the last update from the conference.

Free Training on Occupational Hygiene Topics
There’s a strong move towards providing training in occupational hygiene in those areas where resources are scarce.  OHTA, the Occupational Hygiene Training Association, is aggressively leading this effort, by developing training materials and making them available for use at no cost (the training modules are available online ). They also are promoting an international qualifications framework, so occupational/industrial hygienists worldwide follow the same consistent high standards. OHTA is a collaboration of industrial hygiene organizations worldwide.

Firefighters and fine particulates
One of the student posters (student Poster 41) was about a research project finding that showed that firefighters were exposed to very high levels of fine particulate matter during live overhaul (the final stages of firefighting—searching out hidden fires and cleanup). Particulate levels were also much higher at the fire station than background (just in the general environment) – in the kitchen (probably from cooking) and in the truck bay, where the smaller particles outnumbered the larger (likely from diesel exhaust).

The significance: fine particulate matter has been associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and firefighters have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Firefighters often don’t wear respirators during overhaul.

Globally harmonized MSDS standards
Once this is adopted, it will change how Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) look, especially because they’ll use R phrases, which are standardized risk phrases, and S phrases, standardized precautions (e.g., R23: Toxic by Inhalation). This is an OSHA priority, but there’s conflict about whether TLVs (Threshold Limit Values—the limits at which it is believed workers can be exposed) would be listed. Many (but not all) MSDSs follow an ANSI 16-part format, which includes regulatory, ecological, and transport information – OSHA does not now require those, but they would be part of a globally harmonized system material data sheet.

For more information on this or assistance with other safety issues, please contact CHESS.

All electrical tools, equipment, appliances, etc, must be certified by a nationally recognized testing lab.  Always look for the UL or CSA symbol and certification.  If the equipment doesn’t have this, it may not meet minimum safety requirements.

For more information on this or other safety issues, contact CHESS at carkey[at]chess-safety.com or 651-481-9787.